Praying in a mosque with a cemetery in front of it
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Maintaining mosques
Question: Is it permissible for non-Muslims to undertake the construction and maintenance of mosques, given that this involves their entering the premises, and possibly sitting and talking inside them?
Answer: One should not be lenient in this matter, nor place trust in disbelievers and entrust them with the affairs of Muslims, especially the supervision of mosques and their construction. Rather, this should be entrusted to Muslim workers, and there are many of them, praise be to Allah.
Therefore, one should be cautious and avoid such practices, and the maintenance, construction, and repair of mosques should be undertaken by Muslim workers and Muslim contractors. There are many of them, praise be to Allah, so there is no need to turn to others.
Answer: As for when the graves are separated from the mosque, and the mosque was not built for the sake of the graves, but rather built for prayer, with the cemetery in a place isolated from it, and there was no intention to place the cemetery near the mosque, nor to place the mosque near the cemetery, but rather each was placed in its own location with a barrier between them, then there is no harm in praying in the mosque. This is because this mosque was not established over graves, even if the cemetery is close to it.
However, if the mosque was established over graves, then prayer in it is not permissible and is invalid. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade praying at graves, forbade building mosques over graves, and was severe in this matter, cursing whoever did it.
Because this is a means to associating partners with Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and because this is the practice of the Christians and the polytheists.
Building mosques over graves is among the things prohibited in Islamic sacred law, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed whoever did it. Likewise, praying at graves is prohibited, even if there are no mosques built over them. If mosques are built over them, the matter is more severe. However, even praying at graves, even if no mosques have been built over them, is prohibited and forbidden. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade praying at graves or facing graves, because this is among the means to shirk (associating partners with Allah).
As for the issue of a road passing through the middle of a cemetery, if the road is straight and the cemetery is on its sides, then there is no harm in that. This is because the road does not pass over the graves, but is a straight road isolated from the graves. Even if it passes between two cemeteries, there is no harm in that, such as a street that is between two cemeteries. However, it should be ensured that what protects the graves from the harm of passersby and pedestrians is established over them, by erecting barriers or walls that separate them from the road.
However, if the passage mentioned by the questioner passes over the graves and penetrates the graves, then this is not permissible. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade sitting on a grave, and forbade a person from stepping on a grave, or passing over graves. This is because it involves harming the dead and insulting the graves, and we have been forbidden from that. If the road penetrates the graves and walks over them, then this is forbidden.
However, if the road does not penetrate the graves, but is isolated from them, then there is nothing wrong with it. However, as we mentioned, it should be ensured that a barrier separates the road and the graves.
Question: Is it permissible for non-Muslims to undertake the construction and maintenance of mosques, given that this involves their entering the premises, and possibly sitting and talking inside them?
Answer: One should not be lenient in this matter, nor place trust in disbelievers and entrust them with the affairs of Muslims, especially the supervision of mosques and their construction. Rather, this should be entrusted to Muslim workers, and there are many of them, praise be to Allah.
Therefore, one should be cautious and avoid such practices, and the maintenance, construction, and repair of mosques should be undertaken by Muslim workers and Muslim contractors. There are many of them, praise be to Allah, so there is no need to turn to others.
Answer: As for when the graves are separated from the mosque, and the mosque was not built for the sake of the graves, but rather built for prayer, with the cemetery in a place isolated from it, and there was no intention to place the cemetery near the mosque, nor to place the mosque near the cemetery, but rather each was placed in its own location with a barrier between them, then there is no harm in praying in the mosque. This is because this mosque was not established over graves, even if the cemetery is close to it.
However, if the mosque was established over graves, then prayer in it is not permissible and is invalid. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade praying at graves, forbade building mosques over graves, and was severe in this matter, cursing whoever did it.
Because this is a means to associating partners with Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and because this is the practice of the Christians and the polytheists.
Building mosques over graves is among the things prohibited in Islamic sacred law, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed whoever did it. Likewise, praying at graves is prohibited, even if there are no mosques built over them. If mosques are built over them, the matter is more severe. However, even praying at graves, even if no mosques have been built over them, is prohibited and forbidden. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade praying at graves or facing graves, because this is among the means to shirk (associating partners with Allah).
As for the issue of a road passing through the middle of a cemetery, if the road is straight and the cemetery is on its sides, then there is no harm in that. This is because the road does not pass over the graves, but is a straight road isolated from the graves. Even if it passes between two cemeteries, there is no harm in that, such as a street that is between two cemeteries. However, it should be ensured that what protects the graves from the harm of passersby and pedestrians is established over them, by erecting barriers or walls that separate them from the road.
However, if the passage mentioned by the questioner passes over the graves and penetrates the graves, then this is not permissible. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade sitting on a grave, and forbade a person from stepping on a grave, or passing over graves. This is because it involves harming the dead and insulting the graves, and we have been forbidden from that. If the road penetrates the graves and walks over them, then this is forbidden.
However, if the road does not penetrate the graves, but is isolated from them, then there is nothing wrong with it. However, as we mentioned, it should be ensured that a barrier separates the road and the graves.